Cigarettes
by Hatter Madigan
Summary: A plot bunny that spawned when I learned that Six smoked in the comics that Generator Rex is based off of. This is a hypothesis of why he doesn't do so in the cartoon. Holiday/Six if you look close. One-shot.


A/N: Okay guys, this is a little Generator Rex one-shot I had to write after I learned (on the Generator Rex forums) that in the comics Generator Rex was based off of Six smoked. Dedicated to Total Weirdo, and the rest of the Generator Rex forums crew! Tell me if ya like it!

Six stopped abruptly and glanced around the deserted white halls, eyes flashing behind the dark lenses of his glasses. He waited for a moment and, when he saw nothing, straightened his shoulders and continued down the corridor.

If someone who didn't know better had seen the agent at that moment, they might have said the usually stoic man appeared nervous. Which of course was ridiculous. He wa_s Agent_ _Six_ after all, one of the most feared men in all of Providence. He didn't _get_ nervous. Never the less, Six was anything if not cautious, so he picked up his pace and hurried toward his destination, polished black shoes barley making a sound on the tiled floor.

A few moments later the green clad man stood outside the Petting Zoo's door. Quickly he typed in the passcode and the door opened, revealing lush greenery and humid air. Slipping inside, the door shutting behind him, Six made his way to a grove of trees he knew would hide him out of sight of the security cameras. Moving quickly he was soon hidden from view, shaded by the trees. There he paused…and then let out an almost unnoticeable sigh.

All the tension Six usually held himself with drained out of his shoulders and he leaned against the trunk of the nearest tree. With steady hands he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out the one thing he was forbidden to have. A crumpled pack of cigarettes.

Extracting a cheap lighter as well, Six pulled a single, slender stick from the package and brought it to his lips. Letting it dangle there casually he brought the lighter up and with a single flash the tip ignited. It was all he needed.

Taking a long drag off the cigarette, one hand came up to steady the slender item and the other tucked away the lighter. Leaning further against the bark of the tree the dark haired man closed his eyes. He'd been craving this cigarette _all_ _day_.

Six had started smoking when he was younger. He had never been much of an addict, slipping a token every few days, but he had never really planned to _stop_ either, despite knowing it wasn't exactly doing him any good. But then Rex had come a long. And Holiday, who had never approved of his habit to begin with, had finally laid down the law. She had told Six that he had to be a role model for Rex, since no one else would, and no amount of arguing had changed the woman's mind. She had gone to ridiculous lengths to prevent him from continuing his "dirty habit," as she called it.

First Holiday had just take the cigarettes from him if she found them in his possession. When he always managed to get more, which Holiday had been unable to figure out since the stoic man was _always _watching Rex, she'd investigated. Well, actually, she'd been clued in by Bobo that Six was paying the guards to smuggle in the contraband. After that she'd threatened the guards with bodily harm if they bought Six any more of the "cancer sticks." Finally she'd gone as far as pay to Bobo to raid Six's room and trash any cigarettes he found. It had gone on for _weeks_, and eventually Six had gotten so sick of finding monkey fur on his suits that he had given in.

So far he'd been a non-smoker for three years…well, for the most part. Some days though, he just _had _to have a cigarette. On those days he managed to bum one off one of the rookie guards, who hadn't been around when Holiday had made her threats. He couldn't do it often, or Holiday would get wise, but he could do it enough. He'd taken to smoking in the Petting Zoo so that the smell wouldn't linger on his clothes. So there he was, hiding from a single human woman, when he'd been know to fight off armies of E.V.O.s by himself.

Sighing, Six bowed his head. _How the mighty have fallen. _Tiredly the dark haired man reached up and plucked the dark shades he near constantly wore from his face, revealing narrow, tired, dark green eyes. Taking another drag he hung his shades on the collar of his shirt, rubbing a hand across his jaw. Then he tilted his head back and let out a stream of smoke from his nose, eyes half lidded.

It had been a bad day. A contained E.V.O. had escaped while Holiday was testing it. No one had been severely hurt, Six having quickly jumped in and subdued the creature, but Holiday herself had been injured, clawed by the beast. No, it had not been a good day.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here," an amused voice suddenly sounded, breaking Six's thoughts. Shocked that he had been snuck up on the green clad man's eyes snapped open and he shot up straight. Fortunately he managed to recognize the voice, and it's owner, before be reached for his katanas. Six almost relaxed...but then he remembered the entire reason he was there to begin with. He also realized he was still holding his cigarette. _Dammit_.

"Yeah, I caught you. Don't even try to wiggle your way out of it, buddy," Holiday scolded, a smirk on her face. But just as quickly as it had come her amusement fled, and her eyes narrowed. "Drop it," she ordered. Six's lips narrowed into a thin line, but he dropped the half finished cigarette to the ground. Holiday stepped forward and held out an arm. "The rest of them too."

Six began reaching for the carton-he knew when to pick his battles, besides he had more stashed in his room-but hesitated when he saw the thick bandages that peeked out of Holiday's sleeve. Holiday saw the sudden pause in action and followed Six's eyes-_Green_, she thought, _I see them so little, I_ _forget_ _sometimes_ _just_ _how_ _green_-to her forearm.

"I'm fine," she remarked quietly, "the cuts weren't deep." Six's eyes widened momentarily-realizing he'd forgotten to put back on his glasses-and he straightened up a bit more. Quickly the agent smoothly slid his glasses from his shirt and back onto his face, once again obscuring his eyes. He then finished reaching for his cigarettes and dropped the carton into Holiday's still outstretched hand.

Holiday closed her hand around the carton and let her arm drop. Her face remained neutral, not revealing the way her heart sank in disappointment at the sight of Six replacing his glasses. She watched quietly as the stoic man straightened his tie and began moving past her, towards the exit. However, just as a frown began to form on her face, she was Six abruptly stopped next to her, his shoulder almost brushing her own. He didn't turn to look at her, but between the dark lenses of his shades and skin, Holiday caught a flash of green.

"I'm glad," he remarked quietly. Then, before Holiday could say anything, he was moving again, striding towards the exits in long steps. For a moment Holiday stood statue still, then her mouth broke into a grin. Biting her lip to casually smother the smile she looked down at the carton of cigarettes in her hand, then she glanced at Six's retreating form. Smirking suddenly she raised her head and called out to him. "Don't think this means I'm letting you keep the rest of those cancer-sticks you have stashed in your room!"

Six faltered in his step for a moment at this…but just for a moment. Quickly he straightened his shoulders and stiffly continued walking towards the exit. Holiday shook her head in amusement-tucking the cigarettes into lab coat-and looked toward the glass roof of the Petting Zoo, grin licking at her face once again.

"What ever do I see in him?"


End file.
